From as far back as time could go, nearly who and what a person was depended on their gender. Women were seen as inferior to men no matter their intellectual or social status background. Men and women alike were expected to have certain and specific duties associated with their gender. Gender roles have always been a popular discussion topic due to its major impacts on cultural norms of various time periods. The popular start and discussion of gender roles and feminism specifically was initiated in its early forms dating back to the 18th century when Mary Wollstonecraft founded the modern European feminism ideology. Although feminism and the feminist movement didn’t officially start until the mid 19th century, it did not stop people from …show more content…
For women, although they are seen in areas like politics and entertainment like previously mentioned; their prominent role was being the main caregiver to the children and to their husbands as well as the housekeeper while their husband were away at work to provide for the family financially. Women had limited rights within their marriages. They were expected to wait on their husband’s hands and feet. They were unable to initiate a divorce and in more cases than not, were required to share their husbands with their other wives or concubines. Female children were considered unwanted compared to male children because male children had the ability to continue the family name/family tradition as well as provide physical labor out in the fields which benefited the family financially. Usually, with families of more female children than male children, the females would be sold to the wealthy to serve as concubines, prostitutes, participants in arranged marriages, or even to be simply traded for useful cattle/livestock for food and field labor. The status of women declined even more with the end of the Tang dynasty leading to the Song dynasty. Fast forward to the time period of 1350-1550, this two hundred year span is known as the Renaissance or the rebirth period.
The Tang Dynasty is an important aspect of Chinese history. Lasting from 618 AD to 907 AD, it received the nickname “The Golden Age of Ancient China” because it was a very prosperous time. This powerful empire came into control when the reign of the Sui Dynasty before it ended.
Women controlled many of the in house affairs, such as dealing with servants, family resources, and money. In terms of authority, a man’s mother and wife were treated with a higher level of respect than other women. Although, throughout both dynasties, when a women entered marriagehood, she became part of her husband's family; the women were also not able to obtain their dowry. During the Song Dynasty, confucian beliefs and social norms were much more present. Surrounding women, confucian beliefs generally say a women should stay at home and had the lion’s share of work. The custom of footbinding throughout the Song Dynasty further depressed women's role and social standing. Footbinding began at the higher class and elite; the custom was in place to make womens feet smaller and more attractive. This was a painful process of binding feet with cloth to achieve beauty and luxury, which became so socially acceptable that it was even forced by many parents onto their daughters. The fear was not being able to find a husband if the daughter had big feet. Over time, the status of women negatively declined between each dynasty.
Between the 1300s and 1500s, Europe experienced a period of cultural rebirth known as the Renaissance, marking the transition from medieval times to modern times. The Renaissance brought new importance to individual expression, self-consciousness and worldly experience.
During the Song Dynasty (960–1279) in Ancient China, the gender in which a person was born as, changed their whole path of life. Their role in society, their education, their power in the household were very different depending on if they were male or female. A typical female had much less power compared to a man; they were considered the inferior gender. It was unfair, and to an extend, cruel, the way that women were treated compared to a man, but during that time in China, it was so normal that no one questioned it. The roles that each gender held were rigid, quite different, and clearly not equal. As China gained power during this time and became more powerful, women were greatly downgraded by men because men were thought to be the ones
During the years 600-900 A.D. of the Chinese Empire, the Tang Dynasty was in power, and was considered the Golden age of Chinese civilization. The dynasty's second emperor, Taizong, started campaigns to deal with threats from the Nomadic Tribes. Due to these campaigns in the Tarim Basin, the Silk Road was able to stay open, allowing for trade in the Middle East and Europe. This trading society encouraged people from distant countries to come and settle in China. Another advancement affecting trade was the “equal-field system” which not only saw that everyone received proper care, but that all land was being farmed. This was possible by making it that people given land did not have to give it up to the military service, called the “Fubing System”,
It is known for being flourished with women rights. The Song dynasty’s society definitely had its differences to Tang, “For instance, the prime minister of the Song dynasty might take a bath in the same public bath house as everyone else, which would be unthinkable in the Tang Dynasty”, (Wang, 2003). This is quoted from a secondary source from a professor studying Chinese history and shows how different the societies were between the two. Men were still greatly superior to women in this period. In contrast with the Tang dynasty, women in this period despite it following the Tang dynasty, were not allowed into positions of great importance like government officials or be involved in politics and were just expected to stay at home and take care of the household. But women of this period, unlike those of Tang, were had equal societal and legal rights that enabled them to control their own dowry, able to establish small businesses and were equal to men when it came to terms of inheritance, (Yuan, 1984). Essentially, Tang dynasty women were bolder and more active in the society where the women of the Song dynasty were more academically inclined and well reserved and respectful. Although the society themselves were different in certain aspects, women’s role between the two were similar. Both of these dynasties were divided by gender,
Humans have made huge accomplishments throughout history. Many of these accomplishments have changed the world. Some of these accomplishments have come from dynasties and empires that wanted to expand their knowledge and ideas. Some of these things have affected other civilizations after them and some didn’t have that much of an impact. A lot of these achievements and accomplishments are basic things in our everyday lives that these civilizations have took time and effort to come up with. Ancient China has been one of the numerous places that have made accomplishments. Many ancient Chinese dynasties have accomplished many things that have affected the world. The Tang dynasty’s accomplishments in art, farming, gunpowder, and literature have
All throughout history, women have been thought of to be “weaker” and “not as capable” as men have always been thought to be. Due to this, gender roles were
Women throughout time have experienced position changes more times than can be counted. Not just in modern times, gender roles began in the B.C.E era. In Egypt and India, gender roles were a huge part of society. In both locations, male’s word was law. What they said was the final answer and a woman could not change that. The gender distinctions were similar in ways that women had minimal power in familiar locations, like their homes. They had a small opinion about certain subjects, but they never ventured out of the comfort zone of subjects they were allowed to discuss. Men were treated better than women, yes, but the power women held was used for some of the most important topics.
“The future depends on what we do in the present” - Gandhi. Have you ever wondered what life would be like if Karl Benzin hadn’t created the first car, or Thomas Edison hadn’t invented the light bulb? Things that we take for granted now, were once a dream, an idea, a plan. The inventors probably had little idea about the impact it would have on the future. 4,000 years ago people wouldn’t have even dreamed of things that we take for granted now. But many of the people back then had ideas and made decisions that affected the future of the world. Around 3,000 years ago in China, the 3rd of China’s dynasties occurred. This dynasty is called the Tang Dynasty and is often referred to as the Golden Age because of its great advancements. The Tang dynasty was the most impactful of China’s Dynasty because of the cultural advancements, economic growth, useful inventions, important studies, and government code changes that took place.
During the Romantic Era, gender roles were already set in stone. Women were expected to do certain things, as were men, and they only did such. These clear standards were held very highly in society, however, as many people felt obligated to society to continue with these standards, there were always people who had a different opinion. Women such as Mary Wollstonecraft identified men as the root cause for the need of a change in society. In contrast there were women like Anna Letitia Barbauld who felt that if women truly loved their husban,d, being an equal gender should not matter. These two approaches, although very different, made up the beginning of the feminist movement during this era.
Throughout time women have been placed in a subjugated position. Men have placed themselves as the leaders but to contest the unfairness in rule feminism became a movement. Feminism is the movement, ideal set that women and men should be equal to each other in all ways. This includes socially, lawfully and any other way that would make the society better. In the time of Chaucer, the roles of women were very rigid and set in stone. Women were thought to be little more than adolescent possessions that needed taking care of and it was through this image that women were treated. They were expected to be little more than house wives that took care of children and
“The rebirth.” “The early modern period.” The Renaissance is alluded to by many names, referring to the great artistic renewal period beginning in the 14th century and ending in the 17th century. Occurring after the Medieval Period, it is often considered to be the bridge to modern day history as we know it. It was period of change, revival, and great augmentation for society. With the Middle Ages coming to an end and with the intellectual decline that had followed, scholars and thinkers alike began to study the ideals of ancient philosophers of the classical world, most prominently the Greeks and Romans, a time of great innovation and high human achievement, the likes of Humanism that hadn’t been seen for centuries.
Beginning with the oppressed women over the men, they were categorised under the man in the hierarchy. This past law was reduced to the fact of the sex and the ability to give birth, which leads to the archetypical image of a mother and housewife. This image may still exist, but the movement of feminism resist against those stereotypical images of women. In addition, feminism wants to build an equal policy and society in which woman can live free and fell decisions without considering the opinion of a superior man.
Feminism was understandably unheard of at this time. Their roles in life and society were definitely limited in every way possible, leaving women to be oppressed and expression hard to accomplish. Their role mainly consisted of taking care of their homes, children, and husbands. Although they were needed to keep their homes and family running seriously, they were hardly given any credit for it. Women had to be good housewives, productive and respected member of society, and marry a man who would be able to take care of them in order for them to prove themselves successful. The evolvement of women’s lives began to take a turn towards a more open and expressive era in the 18th